Fisher a



PATENTE@ i FEB' 4 :ses t @eine tstes @stent @time FISHER A. SPOFFORD AND MATTHEW G. RAFFINGTN. OF COLUMBUS, OHlO.

Letters'Patcnt lll'o. 74,164, dated February il, 1868.

ADJUSTABLE BALL-HOLDER. POR GAMES.

@ligt tlgttule wenn tu it tgrst ndert ntcnt mit making uit of tige sinne.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY OONGERN:

Be it known that ne, France A. Snorronn and MATTHEW G. RAFFINGION, of Columbus, in the county oi Franklin, und State of Ohio, have invented n new und improved Adjustable Bull-Retainer and Aim-Holder l'or Pistol Exercise; und we do hereby declare that the following is c. full, clear, and exact description thereof',

which will enable those skilled iu the nrt to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying' plate of drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a. sectional elevation of our invention.

Figure 2 represents a. front view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new device for holding the aim during shooting-practice with toy guns ond pistols, and forretaining the seme when it has been hit; also, for retaining the bulls or marbles ejected from the` guns or pistols.

The invention lconsists in the use of en up-and-down adjustable platform, which is sot upon o pole, and which een be revolved on tbe sume. Upon one side ofthe frame is secured a. circular, oval, or other bow, lining the month of a. bag, that is stretched by external or other braces, so ns to bc wide open. The nim, which consists of n. ball, pin, or other suitable device, is placed upon the platform, und, when it is hit, it fnlls against the sides ofthe bag, and is thus retained on the platform, or et least on the device. The balls are, by the bag, also prevented from beingklost, n. ledge on the front edge of the platform preventing their being thrown out by o. rebound.

A represents a. horizontal or nearly horizontal-platform, made of wood or other suituble material, and mounted upon the upper end of n. pole, B, which is supported by and swivelled in un upright stnndnrchC, as shown. We prefer to have the pole B noeud-down adjustable in the standard C, either by means of set-pins,

. a, or by ratchet-wheels and racks, or other equivalent devices. One edge of the platform A is provided with a.

projecting ledge, b, as shown, upon which u bow, o, is secured, which lines and holds open the mouth of n, beg, D, os shown. The bag, which is of conical or other suitable form, is stretched lengthwnys by means of n brace or braces, d, fastened to its near end, und hooked or hinged to the platform, as shown in fig. l. The aim to be shot at is placed upon tbc platform, and the sume is then turned, so that the open bag will foco the player.

lWhen the aim has been hit, it falls upon the platform or into the bag, as u'cll as the balls or marbles thrown at it', the ledge in front preventing the loss of the latter by rebounding. v

It will be noticed that the invention is a. modification ci' the potent, No. 61,960, grunted to us on the 12th day of February, 1867. It is considerably simpler rsind less expensive 'than the device shown in the aforesaid Letters Patent, und is intended umore particularly for practice for grown persons, while the object of the former was to produce a, new play for children.

Having thus described our invention, ne claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Potent- '.lhe revolving platform A, when provided with o. ledge, b, and bow, c, in combination with the bur D, bruco d, and standard B C, all made and operating substazitinllyh :is and for the purposes herein shown and described.

FISHER A. SPOFFRD,

MATTHEW e. RAFFINGTON. Witnesses for Srorronn:

WM. F. McNAMAnA, A. V. BnIEsEN. Witnesses for RAmmeroN:

JOHN G. MITGHELL, JAMES WATSON. 

